Video: 2007 Hyundai Veracruz

Now the Hyundai Veracruz Limited that we're testing has a power lift gate. Parents might think "Oh, I don't really need that, it's gimmicky." But in reality, it's pretty helpful to have something like this when you've got an arm full of kid or arm full of groceries. What it seems is that the power lift gate, if it hits you when it's on the way down like this, (car alarm beeps) it's actually very light. It's very gentle. Nope, no trouble at all. But if you happen to be exactly my height and give it no room to move before it comes down, (car alarm beeps) it doesn't like that. Now the space back here is not that large. If you compare this to vehicles like the Mazda CX-9 and the Saturn Outlook, they have more space back here. They're also larger overall, but the Honda Pilot, which is also about the same size as this one. has more space in the back. I guess the payoff in this car is that you get more leg room for the passengers inside. As is now pretty much the norm, there's some storage space underneath the floor here, just to keep stuff out of sight. Veracruz has a third row seat of standard equipment. Backrest adjust a few notches, which is actually kind of rare in a third row. Obviously someone in the seat is not going to be able to reach this back here. Same lever is used to fold it down, which is simple enough. Honestly, this is a bit of a reach for most people, I think. It wouldn't hurt to have a strap or something like that here instead of the latch. Now folding the Veracruz' second row is about as simple as it can be. Now the high lever lets you slide the seat forward for access to the third row. Grabbing the lower lever puts it flat. Couldn't be simpler. The doors have really nice advanced hinged door pockets, which aside from being pretty decent in size to begin with, hinge outward, to give you more space. The glove compartment is not a forgotten feature. It's actually pretty good in size. And there is a light inside, which is actually in some vehicles not available because of cost cutting on the part of the manufacturer. Also bears noting that it's lockable. Center consoles have gotten larger in vehicles, these days. The Veracruz is still kind of modest. It has a bi-level storage capacity. The top can handle a few CDs. Now the inside is, you know, about one hand deep. It also has this cool box feature. It's basically a vent from the air conditioning system. It's not quite a refrigerator, but it'll keep a couple of cans cool or keep your hamster from getting heat stroke. Another storage feature that's about as common as cars are these days is the overhead sunglass holder and a feature in the Veracruz that's been stolen from minivans is what's called the conversation mirror. You can keep an eye on the people behind you, whether it's a child in a child seat or anyone else who might be misbehave. This is our Veracruz Limited's storage space for the optional DVD-Video system. The screen is in the ceiling, but you can store the remote control and the headsets in the center armrest. The cup holders are really nice, too. Large, they have these nifty spring-loaded arms to hold stuff in. Unfortunately, if you have three people in the backseat, no more cup holders. And finally, the Veracruz' third row seats storage comes in the form of one covered bin on this side only, and one cup holder on either side. For additional information on this car or any other go to cars.com and our blog: Kicking Tires.